Blinkova vs Kalinskaya Prediction 31 August 2026
🔊 Anna Blinkova and Anna Kalinskaya open the US Open in a match between two players whose careers have moved in opposite directions over the past two years. Kalinskaya has climbed as high as world No. 11 and is currently ranked 22nd, while Blinkova has slipped from the 30s to outside the top 100 and has been coming through qualifying at recent tournaments. They have met just once before, eight years ago at an ITF event in China, when both were just starting out. Now they meet in a Grand Slam main draw - and neither arrives in particularly good shape.
Head-to-Head
📊 The pair have met just once - in March 2018 at an ITF event in China, where Kalinskaya won 6-4, 6-2.
Anna Blinkova Player Overview
Blinkova is currently ranked 94th in the WTA rankings, having been inside the top 35 three years ago. Her hard-court season has been difficult: five wins and 13 losses. At Cincinnati she came through qualifying, beating Dominika Šalková, Eva Lys and Mananchaya Sawangkaew, before losing in three sets to Ekaterina Alexandrova. Her most recent match, on 23 August in Philadelphia, also ended in defeat.
Her serve goes some way to explaining the slump. Blinkova lands 61% of first serves, but wins only 58% of those points - a low figure by tour standards. On second serve she wins 43% of points, and on return 42%. Opponents have opportunities to attack in almost every service game, which goes a long way to accounting for her poor season record.
Match Results: Anna Blinkova
Anna Kalinskaya Player Overview
Kalinskaya is ranked 22nd, with a career-high of 11th. On hard courts this year she has gone 13-10, though August has been difficult: on 17 August in Cincinnati she retired during the third set against Sorana Cîrstea, trailing 6-7, 6-1, 0-5. Before that she had beaten Catherine McNally 6-3, 6-4, and in Toronto she lost to Diana Shnaider 3-6, 3-6.
Kalinskaya lands 62% of first serves and wins 63% of those points, while her second-serve winning percentage stands at 48%; on return she wins 44% of points. Her serve carries little power - aces account for just 3% of service points. Her results come from consistent baseline play and solid returning rather than short points.
Match Results: Anna Kalinskaya
Key factors
- In 21 of Kalinskaya's 30 hard-court matches against opponents ranked 60th to 120th, no more than 20 games were played.
- Blinkova has stayed within 20 games in 12 of her 18 matches against players ranked 10th to 40th.
- On hard courts this season, Blinkova has a 5-13 record.
- On first serve, Blinkova wins 58% of points; Kalinskaya wins 63%.
- On 17 August in Cincinnati, Kalinskaya retired mid-match.
Expected scenario
Blinkova rarely picks up free points on serve, while Kalinskaya returns consistently and wins close to every other return point. That should translate into frequent breaks, particularly in the first set, with Blinkova having to fight hard to hold throughout. Kalinskaya should regularly gain the upper hand from the return, forcing her opponent onto the back foot from the start of rallies. Blinkováa will need to avoid a run of errors after the first break, but her current level on serve leaves her with very few comfortable stretches. If the favourite manages the physical demands, controlling the flow of both sets should come considerably more naturally to her.
First Set Prediction
Kalinskaya has the tools to take control early, with her return game giving her an edge from the off. That said, her recent withdrawal makes a bold handicap bet on the first set hard to justify - the opening games will tell us how freely she's moving and how she handles extended rallies. The direction favours Kalinskaya, but the main bet is better placed on the full match.
⭐ Editor's Prediction
Kalinskaya is better suited to baseline exchanges and should create chances on return regularly. Blinkova struggles to sustain pressure through her serve, so to take a set she would need to raise her first-serve level significantly while also cutting her error count.
The favourite's physical condition remains the main risk, but the chosen market doesn't require a dominant scoreline in games. If Kalinskaya is fit to compete fully, her advantage should show in every set, and Blinkova will find it difficult to change the pattern of play on her own.
Our pick: Anna Kalinskaya to win 2-0
No comments
Betting Tips: Anna Blinkova - Anna Kalinskaya
Other predictions
